


The Sea at Night is Full of Stars

by lighthouse_at_sea



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: 1910s era, Demon!Crowley, F/M, Fluff, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Crowley, M/M, Selkie AU, selkie!Aziraphale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 18:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20086810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lighthouse_at_sea/pseuds/lighthouse_at_sea
Summary: When Crowley needs a break from a temptation, the beach sounds like a wonderful idea.





	The Sea at Night is Full of Stars

**Author's Note:**

> First Good Omens fic! <3

Crowley peered into window after window with glazed eyes. Books, dresses, candles, furniture, more candles. Neither the antique shop nor the winery had had anything older than the 18th century and she had glued her last penny on the sidewalk ages ago. The trip was an overall flop and the desire to leave the small seaside town grew every second she was trapped within its smoke-filled and gloomy bank. Blessed Hell-assigned tasks. An accountant swayed towards greed. How original.

It was also unbelievable how long it was taking to do said basic temptation. If this went on much longer, she'd have to get a house in the area or risk discorperation from a bed that could easily double as a torture device. The hotel room's ceiling was more comfortable than the bloody thing.

Maybe she'd just take a walk on the beach. Find a nice bed of hot sand and curl up as a snake for the rest of the day. Yes, just like out in the deserts surrounding Mesopotamia.

Peering into the next window, she paused. Fascinating. The outfit worn by the mannequin sported a black garment with red trimmings, dark and heavy stockings as well as little lace-on flats to complete the ensemble. The accompanying sign proclaimed it to be a new type of women's bathing suit. And she _had_ just wanted to explore the beach. When was the last time she'd swam in an ocean anyway? Greece? The Gulf of Chihli? Long enough that the swimwear had simply been hiking up your trousers or forgoing clothing altogether.

Half an hour later, Crowley left the shop. The swimwear's flannel design would have been stuffy on a human, but on the demon, the extra warmth hardly registered.

Ignoring the signs for the public beaches, Crowley drifted towards the imposing beachside properties with ostentatiously large houses and too many columns. What was a little trespassing to a demon, anyway? If it happened to inspire wrath onto the owner if he came across her, then she would happily add it into this month's report.

She turned her gaze to the ocean. In the afternoon sun, the reflected light on the waves were bright even through her sunglasses.

For a while, she simply walked. The warm breeze felt wonderful on her skin and she flicked her tongue out to catch the salty smell of the air. Being by the sea like this was much different than the bank of St. James, where the water was silent and the ducks made all the noise. Here, there was the constant crashing of waves and other various watery sounds. And no ducks in sight. Were ocean ducks a thing?

No one stopped her as she treaded on private property and eventually, the houses disappeared in favor of large, jagged rocks and piles of washed up seaweed. Perfect.

As expected, the flannel dress quickly soaked up water and acted about as sea-worthy as a drowning woolen sheep. But it was the most fun she'd had in years. Hurling herself at the waves and getting knocked down for her efforts, her laugh was high and unhinged. It was positively freezing and her hair had long since come out of its clips, her sunglasses hanging on for dear life on the bridge of her nose. Pushing herself under the surface of the ocean, she saw strings of seaweed and kicked up sand. She burst up to the surface.

"Wahoo!"

However; in an unexpected turn of events, her yell garnered a response. Crowley stilled as much as she could in an ocean, still bobbing along with the current. Another shout returned her own, although it was decidedly more panicked. It was hard to tell past the waves, as she was quite a way from the shore now, but she was pretty sure it was a man. A man that was waving frantically and pulling off his coat. Oh dear someone, he didn't think she was drowning, did he?

The man began to wade into the water.

All excitement lost in favor of not wanting a man to drown himself to save a demon, she began to swim towards the shore, keeping an eye on the man's position. But between one minute and the next, he vanished. Stomach plummeting, she whipped her head around. The man hadn't just gone and drowned, right? She pushed and kicked harder against the water, heading to where she'd last seen him. If only the blasted piece of swimwear didn't weigh her down like a bag of bricks. Come on, she might have just drowned someone! The fool probably couldn't even swim, just saw a lady minding her own business and decided to play hero!

"Are you alright, miss!"

The closeness of the voice caused her to flail. Her glasses made a break for it before she slammed them back on her face. And there, not two meters away, the man was alive after all. Swimming closer, raising his arms briefly into the sign of surrender, his voice was cheerier than expected.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"

Her would-be rescuer was a sorry sight, feather-white hair now dripping water onto a face full of happiness for finding her perfectly unharmed. His clothing, rather finely crafted by Crowley's estimate, was now five shades darkener and billowing from the sloshing waves. The two of them probably looked quite the pair.

"Are you alright?" he repeated.

Crowley stopped staring at the idiot of a human in front of her.

"So what, you see a woman enjoying the ocean and decide to play hero?"

The man startled back. "Of course not! You were shouting and flailing and much too far out for me to ask if you were alright. If there was even the slightest chance you were drowning, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I walked away."

Crowley scowled, then sighed. "Suppose that checks out."

The two treaded water and assessed one another.

"Why don't we get to shore and dry off?" the man suggested.

"Yeah, alright."

The trip back was short, but it still much longer than however the man had managed to swim out to her so fast.

Taking their first steps onto dry land, Crowley squeezed out the water in the skirt while the man looked mournfully down at his suit.

"Serves you right," she muttered.

"Yes, I suppose it does."

Crowley glanced over at him. The man caught her glance and smiled wryly.

"Aziraphale."

"Nhh?"

"My name, it is Aziraphale."

"Oh. Crowley."

"A pleasure to meet you, Crowley." Aziraphale offered his hand.

Crowley shook it and Aziraphale smiled properly.

A laugh erupted before she knew it. "So you really just toss off your coat and wade in after strangers? Does it happen often?"

Aziraphale rolled his eyes as he scanned the surrounding area, probably for the aforementioned coat. He set off to their left and Crowley followed, sand caking on to her soaked stockings.

"I wouldn't say I make a habit of it, as it doesn't occur nearly as much as it happens in books. But yes, once or twice."

"Ever save anyone for real?"

"Well, I'd like to think I helped out a young couple, once. Not from drowning, but they were heading off to sea with hardly anything but the clothes on their backs. So I gave them… supplies and whatnot."

Aziraphale found his cream coat resting unharmed atop the cream-colored sand and scooped it up reverently.

"That was nice of you."

"I just hope it was the right thing to do. Now, I don't suppose you'd like to come over to my house? I have towels and I'm sure I could find you something to wear. A walk back to town soaked like that, you'll catch a cold."

Seeing as she was presenting as female for the time, Crowley paused at the invitation. Either this man was being incredibly forward or incredibly oblivious and polite. Fortunately for him, she assumed the second. What with the jumping in the water and such. She didn't particularly care to partake in violence, but nevertheless, snapping a man's wrist for any number of sexual advances certainly didn't lose her any sleep. Besides, the only company she'd had for the past month had been a surly and resilient accountant and a check-up from Hastor.

And fingers crossed that Aziraphale was the type of man who appreciated a good grenache or pinot noir.

"Alright, then."

"Wonderful! It's only a few minutes this way. I'll put the kettle on right away. Nothing better than warm tea after a cold swim."

Crowley hummed noncommittally.

* * *

"A.Z. Fell and Co.?"

"My bookshop. Been in my family for generations. I live in the loft above it.

Crowley looked around. Just ocean and sand.

"Isn't it a bit hard finding customers all the way out here?"

Aziraphale finished unlocking the front door and held it open for her.

"Yes, I suppose it is."

Inside was exactly what Crowley pictured when she heard the word "bookshop." Dusty air, shelves full of books that looked as if they might crumble to the touch, ornate rugs and filmy lights.

"Ah, as we are both still quite wet, would you mind stepping away from there?"

Crowley backed away from the shelf she had started to gravitate towards. Astronomy.

"Sorry."

"Right. Well, let's head upstairs and I'll get you something to change into."

Through a door and up a rickety staircase, they arrived in Aziraphale's loft. If Crowley had to pick a word, she'd generously go for homey. Less generously, cramped and cluttered.

"Stay here, I'll be just a moment."

When Aziraphale rounded the corner, disappearing into another room, Crowley quickly snapped her fingers. Instantly, the swimsuit and stockings dried. Not even damp to the touch.

A few minutes longer and Aziraphale reappeared. In addition to sporting a different and markedly dry suit, he also carried a towel and a stack of clothes.

"Here you go."

"Oh, that won't be necessary, my outfit dried plenty on the way over. It's the latest in swimwear, you know. Lightning-fast drying."

Aziraphale pulled the proffered pile back towards himself, a quizzical look on his face. For a second he looked as if he were about to say something, but held back. "Of course, let me just put these back."

Leaving and returning once more, he then led Crowley into the kitchen and filled a copper kettle with water, setting it on the stove.

They sat down at the table.

In the end, all they drank was tea, but Crowley found that the taste wasn't too bad. Talking to someone who wasn't a demon was also a refreshing change of pace.

"I'm just here for business. Haven't really been to a beach in a few years. "

"Oh, I don't think I could bear to live away from the sea! If it is not too forward, may I ask what type of business?"

Uhh… "Accounting. I'm here to discuss… accounting business with a colleague. Not sure how long it will take."

"Interesting! I have to keep track of all the ledgers here and I must say, it's challenging work. So where are you from if this is a business call?"

Crowley scrunched up her face and waved her hand a bit. "Here and there. I've been in London a lot lately, but I enjoy travel and my job has me travelling often. I suppose it works out."

"I had no idea accountants traveled so frequently. Do you enjoy your job, then?"

"Well, most just stay in the office. I suppose I'm lucky that I have this job instead of being down there. In the office. My coworkers are positively hellish. Although the last company I worked for wasn't much better."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that."

"Nah, it's okay. It pays the bills."

The man frowned, but nodded. "As you know, I run a bookshop. I'd say I enjoy the work, except for the customers."

"At least your place is so out of the way. No one will find you here."

"One can only hope."

Crowley reveled in the man's indulgent grin at the idea of not another customer stepping foot in his shop.

Tea finished and conversation winding down, Crowley figured it was best to make her leave. Lots of stuff to do and whatnot.

Aziraphale walked her out of the loft and to the bookshop doors where the pair lingered.

"It was lovely to meet you, Crowley."

She stared at him for a few seconds, taking in his fluffy hair, bright blue eyes, and warm smile. Aziraphale was… nice. Company was nice when it wasn't so awful.

"If I'm still in town, maybe I'll swing by to say hello," Crowley offered.

Aziraphale lit up. "It would be wonderful to see you again."

"Right. Thanks for the tea."

And with a wave, Crowley headed back onto the darkening beach.

The waves looked cool as the sun set, she decided on her walk back. All deep blue and orange. And she was sure it would look like a big writhing mess when fully dark.

In town, she made her way back to her hotel and shrugged off the swimsuit, miracling soft pyjamas into existence in its place. She grimaced as she fell onto the bed. First thing in the morning, she'd find a house. And maybe take a few days off, the accountant wasn't going anywhere, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE if there are any places were I misgendered Crowley, let me know and I will fix it.
> 
> Besides that, I hope the first chapter was enjoyable! There is more to come.


End file.
